The best way of extending your gardening knowledge is by talking to other gardeners and sharing your tips and information - here's a few of our frequently asked questions which I think would be useful at this time of year.

Questions

Wild about your garden

We have had so many great comments and questions about the new programme. For those of you who may not have seen it, the website accompanying the series has some great information on a whole host of wildlife related things including my top ten countdown of gardening for wildlife. www.bbc.co.uk/wildaboutyourgarden

Where to get ideas, ask questions and share thoughts...

We know how much people like to share all things garden related so with this in mind we have set up a new social networking site called Gardeners Click www.gardenersclick.com This site allows you to upload photos and ask all our members, Chris included, for input and advice.  It is brand new but growing by the day and has just won New Digtial Award 2008 by the Garden Media Guild. 

Getting into Horticulture

I often get asked to recommend a course to people who want to make a career in horticulture but there are so many different routes industry that my recommendation is to do some research to try and find the course that is right for you. Horticulture covers a breadth of disciplines and it’s important to be aware of what’s on offer before you commit to anything. The Grow careers website is a brand new resource for anyone wanting to know about a career in the industry. www.growcareers.info 

 
Garlic Emulsion
We have received a lot of queries about garlic emulsion - for all of you out there who trying to get hold of some you can try: www.harrodhorticultural.co.uk and search for garlic barrier.

Which gardening shows would you recommend?
Obviously Chelsea is the show which everyone wants to go to but if you want to try something a little different then visit The Sandringham Flower Show which celebrates its 125th year anniversary this year. It's the antithesis of other shows and has retained its village atmosphere even though over 20,000 visitors flock to each year - its a really fun family day out.

How do you deal with slugs?
The dry spring has meant that slug populations are generally down however if you are struggling you can always try watering on nematodes now - www.defenders.co.uk You could try putting fruits down as this will distract the slugs from your favourite plants but also attracts the birds that will eat the slugs. Finally, you could try sprinkling oats around your plants as these are rich in cellulose which the slugs can't resist.

How do you keep your lawn green?
Raise the cutting height of your mower to a couple of inches as this helps to stop evaporation from the soil and the grass can gather more dew in the evening which finds it way down to the roots. If you do get the chance to water - water by soaking the ground with rain water or the water you've collected as this encourages the grass to root more deeply where they can draw on water more naturally when there is a dry period.

What's the tool you couldn't live without?
The Tina knife 605A - with its rosewood handle, Sheffield stainless steel blade and brass hinge this knife can be used for deadheading, cuttings and budding, - I bought mine when I was a teenager and its still going strong. www.burton-mccall.co.uk.